DMZ
by BMeph
Summary: My  technically  first fanfic. Nao/Nat. The green-eyed ones come to a common understanding. One-shot.


A/N: Mai-HiME belongs to Sunrise. Sunrise does not belong to me. Therefore, Mai-HiME does not belong to me.

I just started watching this show, and got hooked, so I wrote a fic about it.

Background: The story takes place after the Star comes down, but before the (school) year ends.

Ō-negai shimasu: please review. Dōzo yoroshiku.

DMZ

Zipping up her black-and-red riding suit, she waves goodbye to her roommates. "Don't wait up, I'll get home when I get home."  
>"Enjoy your ride," Mai cheered in farewell.<br>The brunette took care to close the door softly after her, shaking her head and unconsciously letting a small smile escape,  
>from her last glimpse of her roommie giving in to the inevitable. After a small pause, she took a deep breath and turned to stride confidently down to her awaiting motorized steed, only to stop short at the unexpected sight in front of her. By ingrained reflex, she flung her arms out and down, hands twitching to grasp for objects that no longer materialized at her command, before clenching them into fists, and folding her arms, stomping the last few steps to to the stair well...and the red-haired girl lounging against the wall beside it.<br>As the brunette began her frowning, stomping arrival, the other one raised and twisted her hand oddly, then licked the side of her hand up to her pinky nail. The saucy smirk on her lips ran all the way up to her eyes, tracking her rival's approach with glee.

"Yuuki."  
>"Kuga."<p>

They stood at the top of the stairs, staring at each other, neither one moving, other than the redhead uncrossing her jean-clad legs and stepping away from using the wall as a backstop. Natsuki kept glaring at Nao, who responded by simply smirking back. Finally,  
>Natsuki growled, put her hands on her hips, and leaned into Nao's face, with a demanding "What?" Obviously faking disinterest, Nao examined her fingernails - blood-red, bold and brash as her hair; brash as she was herself - huffed on them, and buffed them lightly on her tight and stretchy striped shirt, before suddenly snapping her head up to stare straight back at Natsuki, fanning her hand out at the same time.<p>

"Nothing, " she she replied.

When Nao spread her hand out, Natsuki jumped back, again by reflex, her eyes wide, and mouth making a little "O" in reaction.  
>Nao giggled, sounding exactly like the schoolgirl she is, yet innocent as she most certainly was not. She slowly, carefully,<br>tucked her hand behind her back, and smirked all the more. The frown that has been swiftly chased off of Kuga's face came back with a vengeance, bringing reinforcements of a thunderous-looking forehead, and a face quickly matching the shade of Nao's hair.  
>Back to staring, glaring and smirking, they went, now with Kuga's hands clenched into fists and held almost behind her back. Just when Kuga was about to interject again, Yuuki blew out a puff of air, rolled her eyes, and with a sassy muttered "whatever," turned away and down the stairs.<p>

"Wh-where do you think you're going?"  
>"Down," she replied, pointing for emphasis.<br>"Wait!" Natsuki cried, even though Nao had already gone past the landing and started down the next part of the stairs.

Then, seeing how her demands were not only ignored, but not helpful, she did her trademark "Kuga leap," cartwheeling sideways over the railing and landing at the bottom of the flight Nao was on. She gasped, lacqued nails covering her mouth, as she she tiptoed faster down the stairs towards the now-kneeling girl. Then, swiftly standing, brushing her hair back over her shoulder, Natsuki went back to glaring. Nao stopped her descent, giving a small jump in her surprise, before slowly taking the last few ones, clapping on each step, until reaching the last step, they stood eye-to-eye.  
>Again, Natsuki leaned into Nao's face, and demanded to know why she was waiting on the steps.<p>

"I wasn't waiting, I was just there," Nao said.  
>"Well why were you there?"<br>"Because I live here too, Kuga - right enxt door, with Senoh, remember?"  
>"Oh. Yeah."<br>Jutting her chin up, Nao smirked again. "Nice bra, by the way."

Natsuki looked at Nao, and followed her eyes to the halfway-down zipper, still swinging slightly from Natsuki's dramatic catch-up.  
>Blushing, she clutched her suit below the zipper to keep it from going farther, bringing it back up with her other hand. Nao's face was a surprisingly open, and fluidly changing mix of emotions, amusement and concern, disturbance and frustration, envy and...sympathy?<br>The blush seemed to jump from one girl to another, as Nao hurriedly worked to justify herself to a question no one else had even thought of asking...

"Hey, don't get all full of yourself, Kuga, I just like the style. I am not hitting on you or anything."  
>"I...didn't think you were."<br>"...So, what brings you out tonight?"  
>"Just going out for a ride. Why, you're not going to pry into my life, are you?"<br>"What, no, hell no! I get more than enough of that from Senoh-sempai. She's a nice enough girl, but she seems to take it as a personal challenge to find out every little detail of what's going on in your life."  
>"I know what you mean." Natsuki felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the younger girl, trying to keep her affairs her own, while sharing a home with one of the legendary gossips of the entire school. Mai wasn't as bad, not quite, but if you didn't tell her every little thing, she acted like it was an insult...<br>"I know exactly how you feel. You going some place particular?"  
>"No, I just...sometimes 'inside' feels too warm, and you just need to feel the air on your face."<p>

Kuga stopped suddenly, turning to study the redhead, with narrowed eyes. Stopping as well, Nao looked back, unconsciously cocking her head to the side, wondering what set Natsuki off, and not even wanting to do it again, just...curious. Just as suddenly, Natsuki started back down the stairs, one corner of her mouth creeping up in what could only be...a smile? On Natsuki Kuga's face? Worried now that she might have said more than she meant to, Nao frowned thoughtfully, trying to figure it out, before just outright asking,

"What are you up to, Kuga?"  
>"Me, nothing!" She raised her hands, smiling guilelessly...except for a definite twinkle in the darker-haired girls eye, suggesting that "nothing" was really "something."<br>"What?" Nao demanded.

Kuga laughed, seeing how Yuuki's frown mirrored her own usual expression. She tried to put on a matching smirk, but seeing the other girl's face full of suspicion was just too funny, too satisfying, too...adorable. Impulsively, Natsuki put her arm around Nao's shoulders, letting the last step settle them in together. She steered the both of them over to where her bike was parked, debating whether Nao would wear a helmet, even if she offered it.

"C'mon, let me take you somewhere I like to go when I 'need to feel the air on my face'."  
>"Where's that?"<br>"The road. The road doesn't ask for your secrets, and is happy with what you share."  
>"Ooh, and when Aoi asked me where I went, I can say 'out on the road,' and she'll just have to take it!"<p>

With a borrowed vest, Nao hopped on the bike behind Natsuki, and the two took off. It was amazing. Nao wasn't sure how long the war between her and Natsuki would keep its cease-fire. She did know that she liked life in the demilitarized zone - not life-threatening,  
>but not boring. She gripped Natsuki's waist tightly, as the motorcycle roared, cheering as the extra goose of power lifted the front,<br>and they zipped down the highway on one wheel.

Yes, this was a fine way to travel through the DMZ.


End file.
